Toothpick dispenser



F. A. BRUNNER TOOTHPICK DISPENSER May 2o, 1947.

` 4 INVN'OR. BY Ffm/wr fz BHW/mf@ original Filed April 11, 1941 Patented May 20, 1947 A 2,420,812 TOOTHPICK DISPENSER Frank A. Brunner, Brooklyn, N. Y. Substituted for abandoned application Serial No.

387,998, April 11, 1941. This ruary 21, 1944, Serial No. 523,315

3 Claims.

This invention relates to dispensers, and more especially to a mechanical means for purveying, one or two at a time, like objects such as toothpicks from a sanitary enclosure or container. The method of accomplishment is also part of this invention. This application is a substitute for abandoned application 387,998, filed April 11, 1941.

An obj ect of the invention is to provide a simple, foolproof toothpick dispenser which will release and expose to the operator one or two toothpicks each time he performs an operation, such as depressing a nger lever.

Another object is to provide a method of releasing from a container, and transmitting to a point outside thereof, one or two of a like group of objects from a pile of them, and by gravity.V

A further object is to provide means in such a device to largely or wholly eliminate jamming of the objects within the container, or the feeding of more than one or two at a time.

All these and other objects, as suggested here below, are attained by the method and means now to be described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which l Figure 1 is a vertical sectional and quasi-elevational view showing the operational parts of a preferred embodiment of the inventiony taken from one side thereof.

Fig. 2 is a vertical elevational view ofthe same, taken from the rear thereof, with the back wall of the article container removed.

Fig. 3 is a vertical elevational view of the same, taken from the front thereof, with the front wall of the container removed, and only the lower or operating -part shown.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the movable feeding plate for releasing to the ejecting drum one or two at a time of the toothpicks, matches, pencils, or like objects to be' purveyed.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the normally stationary but swingably-releasable plate which supports the movable plate above mentioned.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

This invention consists essentially of a base I9 supporting the side walls I I and removable top I2 of a container, preferably rectangular and vertically positioned. The containers width is somewhat greater than the length of the purveyed toothpicks, for instance.

The upper portion of the container is devoted to a toothpick hopper, to which the toothpicks I3 are supplied in quantity through the top opening, after removing cover I2. This hopper is formed by a stationary plate I4 and a movable plate I5 supported by the vertical end walls II of the container or casing. These plates project toward each other and downwardly in somewhat V-form, and have their ends spaced slightly more application Feb- (CL S12-84) 2 than the greatest width of a toothpick, plate I4 pointing toward plate I5 but stopping short of the end thereof, as shown.

Above plate l5, parallel thereto and of slightly less length, is a load plate I6, also supported on the same vertical container wall as is I5. This serves to carry the load of most of the toothpicks after a recent lling, and prevents more than a few resting on plate I5, as clearly shown, and greatly aids in the unjamming operation of the device continuously.

` Plate I4 has securely attached thereto on its under surface near its lower end a guide plate I1, shaped as shown, and directing the toothpicks as released between I4 and I5 to slide down the inclined portion of said plate I'I by gravity to fall oli" onto a second guide plate I 8, slanting downwardly in the opposite direction, and permanently aixed to the casing wall near its upper end. From the end of this plate the toothpicks are fed by gravity to the dispensing drum, as explained below.

Plate I5 is shown in perspective in Fig. 4, which shows the parallel notches or serrations Ita along the upper surface of its lower end to a width somewhat greater than the distance be.. tween the lower ends of members I4 and I6. Projecting downwardly from the under surface ofv plate I5, and through slot 22 of plate IS, is a spring-holding post 20 near the upper edge of plate I5; also, near its lower edge, and projecting through slot 23 of plate I9, is a cam-operated post 2|.

Plate I9 is hingedly attached to Ita to the side wall of the container, as shown, and projecting downwardly from its under surface is a long bent pin or lwire 24, having its lower end urged to the left by coil spring 25 connecting said end to a pin 25 aiiixed to stationary member IB. By this means swinging plate I9 is held in its raised position, yet permitted to swing downwardly to increase the hopper opening to relieve any jamming of the toothpicks at that point automatically when needed, as by permitting several of them to pass through abreast when so jammed. The normal position of the lower end of plate I9, when once determined by experiment, is iiXed by the adjusting bolt 27 with lock nut, which bolt passes through member 24 as shown,j and engages a stationary member, as one edge of nearby member I8. Unscrewing this bolt reduces the hopper opening, and vice versa, the last also in case articles of large'r diameter are to be purveyed.

Sliding feed plate I5 overliesand is carried by swinging plate I9, the two slots 22, 23 of the latter being long enough for maximum desired sliding travel of plate I5, whose members 2t, 2l project there through. Plate I5 is held in its up position by coil spring 28 connecting hinge ISa with pin '29, which latter has a top face below plate I9 to prevent substantial separation of the two said plates. Stud screw 29a, Fig. 4, may be screwed into 29 to assemble the plates.

Operating lever 29 is pivoted at 39, and has a finger-operating end 29a projecting from the front of the device. Beyond the pivot rearwardly the lever extends upwardly and then sharply forwardly, to terminate in a cam-surfaced Yend 29D adjacent to pin 2i carried by plate I5 through I9, as explained above. By pressing down on end 29a, the end 29h engages and pushesto the left and downwardly pin 2| to slide feed vplate I5 downwardly to release a toothpick Aor two onto plate II, then to I8 and the drum. A coil spring 3l returns member 29a upwardly to its `original position, this spring being connected as shown between a casing wall 32 and a lever pin 33, both of which are on the other side of pivot 30 from said member 29a.

Wall 32 is also a support for pivot pin 39, being of flat U-shape with one of its side portions adjacent to a container wall; it also supports a stop 34 for limiting the downward movement of thumb member end 29a. This element is not shown in detail, being obvious to those skilled in the art.

Lever 29 also carries a pawl 35 having a hooked upper end 35a, being pivoted to 29 at 36, below which is a pin 38 to which a coil spring 40 connects with another pin 39 on 2S to keep pawl hook v35a always urged to the right, Fig. 1.

A shaft 4I is rotatably supported in side walls II .as shown, across the lower -front portion of the container, and keyed to it is a ratchet wheel 42 and ejecting drum 43, said ratchet 42 being .positioned in a concentric centrally-disposed groove in the drum, as shown, and substantially inside the drums surface. Grooves 43a, concentric, and spaced near each end, are also cut from the drum, which also has its surface longitudinally-notched as shown in cross section in Fig. 1. Note that the curve of these surface notches is such that when passing member I3 the lower portion of all of said notches is in line with the slant of said member I8. These surface notches are just llarge enough to hold one or two toothpicks.

Flat springs 44, held at 45, extend up into these grooves 43a, which are somewhat greater in depth than the drums sur-face grooves, as clearly shown. Springs 44 extend outwardly through an opening in the front wall ofthe -container as shown, and serve to pick up the toothpicks being carried in the drums surface grooves, and permit them to slide downwardly and out of the container, where they are deposited on a curved take-off Vledge or member 46, to be picked up one at a -time by the user. Member I8 has lips Ia extending into the two side grooves 43a and the ratchet groove of the drum, and just free of engagement with said drum.

Member 46 is shown removed from Fig. 3, for purposes "of clarity.

The drum shaft is equipped with friction washers (not shown) to promptly stop the drums rotation when the thumb lever is fully depressed. Note that pawl hook 35a always clears the adjacent ratchet tooth on each up movement.

A flat spring member 41, Fig. 2, pointing oppositely to springs 44, may be used to have its end engage the drums surface grooves to prevent reverse movement of said drum, though this is not always necessary.

Springs 44, 41 also provide frictionto prevent undesirable free drum movement.

In operation the toothpicks are put in at the top to position shown, being kept substantially parallel. User depresses finger lever 29a, which rotates drum 43 one tooth of ratchet 42, While cam 29h pushes 2I to left, Fig. 3, to slide plate I5 left to carry a pick or two past the lower end of plate I4, to drop on I'I, then I8, into drum notches, around t0 44 to take-off ledge 46, and the user.

It should be noted that in some cases the whole drum mechanism may be dispensed with,

Ysince the toothpicks are reliably fed one or two at a time by the sliding plate I5 and attendant parts, and when so released they may be simply permitted to fall by gravity to the container exit, as by extending member I8 to the left, or its equivalent.

Objects such as matches and pencils may .be purveyed in similar manner; in fact, the heavier and bulkier the object, the more positive is the operation, without renements such as -re quired for toothpicks, as disclosed here.

Take-off member 46 is scoop-shaped at its `top ends, as shown in Fig. 3. The picks rest upon it in almost point contact, thus providing the greatest degree of sanitation for them, which isa prime purpose of the invention.

Having now described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which Letters Patent of the United States is desired is:

1. In an article dispenser, a container, an Ainclined stationary plate therein and .supported thereby, a second inclined plate forming a V with the first plate and having its lower end spaced therefrom, and hinged along its upper -edge -to the container wall to swing `downwardly -away from the stationary plate to release the articles therebetween means to hold up said hinged plate, a pair of vertically-spaced fixed deflecting plates secured in said container below andslanted downwardly in opposite directions to retardinglyconvey the articles -in opposite directions successively, and rotary -ejecting means adjacent the lowermost delecting plate to `receive and `eject the said articles therefrom.

2. In an article dispenser, la casing, a fingeroperated L-shaped lever pivoted thereon, an article-dispensing drum above the levers lower end, a cam extension to the lever .positioned above Vthe drum and movable at right angles to said lower end, and a spring-pressed pawl carried by said lever, both the said extension and the vpawl being adapted to actuate article-releasing-and-ejecting means, respectively.

3. The invention -as in claim 2, there being an electing drum, a ratchet to rotate Vthe drum by action of the pawl, and a slidable plate actuated by the extension for releasing the articles.

FRANK A. BRUNN'ER REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,512,464 Hekrdle Oct. '21, 1924 1,518,933 Kantor Dec. 9, 1924 1,975,445 Brunner Oct. l2, 1934 1,976,351 Matthiesen Oct. 9, 1934 715,560 Dedrick Dec. 9, 1902 513,472 Alexander Jan. 30, -1894 '769,063 Dougherty Aug. 30, -1904 

